I adore Pomona’s Pectin! I first bought the product at Whole Foods to make low-sugar freezer jam for my family (which is super easy and delicious), then one day I was making some vegan cheese and somehow decided to throw some pectin in! It worked fabulously! It’s a great alternative to carageenan or agar based vegan cheeses for those with health concerns or who simply don’t enjoy the flav0r of agar.

Pepper Jack Cashew Cheese made with Pomona’s Pectin! Get the recipe here

The owners of Pomona’s Pectin and I have been fast friends ever since! Today they have asked me to share this very special giveaway with you!

In PRESERVING WITH POMONA’S PECTIN[Fair Winds Press, June 2013] by Allison Carroll Duffy and the partners at Pomona’s Universal Pectin, readers learn how to make jam using sugar-free and preservative-free Pomona’s Universal Pectin, which requires no sugar to jell. With Pomona’s Pectin, not only do jams and jellies take less sugar to make, but less time as well. And Pomona’s Pectin is easy to find at your local natural foods store, food coop, Williams-Sonoma, or online.

This first official Pomona’s Universal Pectin cookbook shows readers how to use this revolutionary product and method to create and can marmalades, preserves, conserves, jams, and jellies. Inside are recipes for sweet offerings and savory favorites such as:

Maple-Vanilla-Peach Jam

All-Fruit Strawberry Jam

Savory Blueberry-Ginger Conserve

Nana’s Favorite Dandelion Jelly

Margarita Marmalade

Chocolate-Cherry Preserves

This is the perfect book for both beginning and experienced preservers, and everyone in between. The more than 70 recipes are organized by type—jams, jellies, preserves, conserves, and marmalades—and there are simple classics as well as new twists with exciting ingredients. And, most importantly, all of the recipes use low amounts of sugar or alternative sweeteners, such as honey (vegans can substitute agave), maple syrup, or fruit juice.

Gingered Lemon-Fig Preserves

In this spectacular preserve, a touch of heat from the ginger and a little tartness from the lemons beautifully highlight the lushness of fresh, ripe figs. Try serving sandwiched between gingersnap cookies to accentuate its flavor profile. To ensure proper acidity levels, be sure to use commonly available, full-acid lemons such as Eureka or Lisbon lemons in this recipe.

Before You Begin:

Prepare calcium water. To do this, combine ½ teaspoon calcium powder (in the small packet in your box of Pomona’s pectin) with ½ cup water in a small, clear jar with a lid. Shake well. Extra calcium water may be stored in the refrigerator for future use.

Yield: 4 to 5 half-pint (8-ounce) jars

Ingredients

2 pounds ripe figs

2 tablespoons peeled, finely grated ginger root

7 medium lemons, divided

4 teaspoons calcium water

1¼ cups sugar

3 teaspoons Pomona’s pectin powder

Directions

1. Wash your jars, lids, and bands. Place jars in canner, fill canner 2/3 full with water, bring canner to a rolling boil, and boil jars for 10 minutes to sterilize them. (Add 1 extra minute of sterilizing time for every 1000 feet above sea level.) Reduce heat and allow jars to remain in hot canner water until ready to use. Place lids in water in a small sauce pan, heat to a low simmer, and hold until ready to use.

2. Rinse figs, remove stems, and slice them in half lengthwise. (Cut them into smaller pieces if you prefer, or if you’re working with large figs.) Combine figs in a saucepan with grated ginger.

3. Wash lemons thoroughly. Using a vegetable peeler, slice off long pieces of the exterior of some of the lemon peels, avoiding the inner white part. Then, using a chef’s knife, slice these pieces into very thin strips about 1-inch long. Repeat this process until you have accumulated ¼ cup of thin, 1-inch long strips. Add these strips to the fig mixture.

4. Slice lemons in half and squeeze out their juice, discarding the remaining peels. Divide the juice, setting aside 1/3 cup for later use. Add the remaining quantity to the fig mixture.

5. Bring the fig mixture to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 12 to 15 minutes or until lemon peels are soft, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

6. Measure 4 cups of the cooked fig mixture and return the measured quantity to the saucepan. Add the reserved 1/3 cup lemon juice and calcium water and mix well.

7. In a separate bowl, combine sugar and pectin powder. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

8. Bring fig mixture back to a full boil over high heat. Slowly add pectin sugar mixture, stirring constantly. Continue to stir vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes to dissolve pectin while the preserves come back up to a boil. Once the preserves return to a full boil, remove from heat.

Can Your Preserves: Remove jars from canner and ladle jam into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch of headspace. Remove trapped air bubbles, wipe rims with a damp cloth, put on lids and screw bands, and tighten to fingertip tight. Lower filled jars into canner, ensuring jars are not touching each other and are covered with at least 1 to 2 inches of water. Place lid on canner, return to a rolling boil, and process for 10 minutes. (Add 1 extra minute of processing time for every 1000 feet above sea level). Turn off heat and allow canner to sit untouched for 5 minutes, then remove jars and allow to cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. Confirm that jars have sealed, then store properly.

Grate That Ginger!

Using a paring knife or a vegetable peeler, slice the thin, brown skin off a chunk of fresh, firm ginger root. Then, using a fine mesh grater, grate the ginger root. Don’t peel the whole root at once—continue to peel as you go along, so that you don’t peel more than you need. Grating the ginger will create a good bit of juice; be sure to incorporate it into your measured quantity of grated ginger.

The Giveaway terms and conditions are: Giveaway is open to anyone with a U.S. or Canadian mailing address who is 18 years or older. Giveaway runs from August 5, 2014, through August 13, 2014. Winners will be randomly chosen. We will email the winners to send us their mailing address. The names of the winners will be posted on the Pomona’s Pectin website blog 48 hours after the giveaway ends.

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